


Posuimus Pugnamus

by BeautyWithMelancholy



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Can you tell I took Latin?, Dwalin and Ori are adorable, Emotionally Constipated Thorin, F/M, Female Bilbo, Fíli and Kíli Are Little Shits, I just had to, Look to Title, M/M, Original Character(s), Romance, Since Prim is sort of his female side, So many tags, i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-04-12 15:54:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4485659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeautyWithMelancholy/pseuds/BeautyWithMelancholy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo Baggins is true to the Baggins name. He is never late for dinner, he has tea with any who even hint that they wish to do so, and he keeps his younger twin in line. That in and of itself makes all of Hobbiton pity him. Bilba-Prim Baggins (usually just Prim, so as not to confuse the two) really ought to be Took by name, for that is how she acts. The two are complete opposites in traits, and argue just as much as you would suspect.<br/>And the Company of Thorin Oakenshield is about to realize this rather soon.<br/>Two hobbits, one meddlesome wizard, and thirteen dwarrows. What could go wrong, you ask?<br/>Pretty much anything, that is what.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Everyone knows the Bagginses; all in the Shire at least. They are a very respectable family, who do respectable things. The Bagginses have tea with any guest-said guest really ought to call first-and the family has a truly magnificent garden that brings all who see it into the deepest depths of envy.

Hobbiton also knows the Tooks. A rowdy, adventurous clan. Completely unable to inspire any type of respect; though of course nobody would dare tell any of said family that to their face. It would be impolite, far too impolite for any of their tastes.

No hobbit ever even considered the idea of a Took and a Baggins courting. _Too different natured; those two families,_ they'd say. That was, until Belladonna Took and Bungo Baggins did just that.

Everyone had an opinion on the two's courting. Many supported it, surprising as it is. After all its a chance to have a party- and what self-respecting hobbit doesn't enjoy a good party? However, there are always those who must argue in sensibility's name, in a most annoying way. People that were convinced that it was simply the worse notion they had ever known. These hobbits were quite promptly  _not_ invited to anything concerning Belladonna's and Bungo's wedding.

That doesn't mean that they did not show up anyway. But the underlining point was made and understood.

A year or so after the wonderful wedding, the loving and rather odd couple gave all the Shire happy news. Bella was pregnant.

Baby showers were thrown, gifts were given, and all held baited breaths in wait of the new little fauntling.

Finally, the wait was over; Belladonna was in labor. And as a Took who has seen and heard many things most hobbits had in fact not, the curses and screams toward her dear husband should not have shocked everyone within hearing distance to their core as much as they did.

Hours after it began, it was over. And again the Took-Baggins pair had given another surprise. They had been blessed by Yavanna with  _twins_.

You see, hobbits have many children; are known for the trait. But it is a rare thing to have twins. Even they themselves do not understand the reason why this is. They do realize however, that when it does happen, it is a absolute delight for all.

The first born was a boy; Bilbo Baggins. Blue-green eyes, a mixture of both his parents', thin wisps of just curly, dirty blonde hair. The ladies who saw him said teasingly that they would have to watch their own daughters around him, once they became of age. Then there was the second born; a lovely little girl named Bilba-Prim. Mesmerizingly large blue-greens that are identical to her brother's, alongside thicker, curlier locks the color of a lazy auburn fire. Bingo's friends told him in a rather grim voice that he would have to be batting boys away with tooth and nail when she was older. Needless to say, Bungo was unamused. But he still mentally prepared himself for the situations to come. Both tiny fauntlings were holding onto each other, and both were well loved by all who met them.

As the pair matured, each showed which family traits they seemed to favor. Young Bilbo; exploring the forest around the Shire and behind Bag End in search of elves that he simply  _knew_ were there somewhere in hiding. He always came home late, a trail of dirty leaves and muddy faulting sized foot prints left in his wake until Belladonna caught him and sent him straight to the bath. Her face was always hiding her pride and amusement in these instances.

Then there was dear Bilba-  _Prim_ as most had taken to calling her. So calm and darlingly polite. She stayed by her father's side during luncheons with friends, neighbors, and dryly disliked family members that one simply had to entertain every now and then. Always batting her long and shockingly dark eyelashes that tried in vain to hide her big blue-green eyes. Her posture was never found wanting, and when someone gave her or someone she loved-usually her older twin or mother- a just barely veiled insult, her father would not even have to say a thing. He knew that his quick witted, silver tongued daughter would give a heart clenching reply, that would either have said company blushing in shame, or stumbling over themselves to apologize. If anyone would give him a glance during these situations, they would see his gentle eyes gazing at his Prim in as much love as possible. Prim was always living up to the Baggins respectability.

The only thing that challenged Prim's respectability was Belladonna's insistence of both of her children learning how to use a sword. Or at least know which is the pointy end. No one really thought much of it, everyone assumed that the two fauntlings would never actually need theses skills. Not even Belladonna, even though she believed it important to know how to protect oneself.

Things change as time goes on though, and people must adapt. Prim and Bilbo realized this rather harshly, as did the rest of the Shire, when the Fell Winter came upon them.

Suddenly, wolves had begun crossing the frozen lake. Food slowly dwindled to scarcity, as did the Shire's occupants, one by one a few days in between each sorrowful demise. Fear covered all in blankets thicker than the ones laid across them during the nights. In an instant, Prim's and Bilbo's sword skills were very important for their friends' and family's survival, even with how limited their knowledge was. It brought them protection, and extra food after it was all finally gone.

However, unlike with wolves one cannot slice through sickness to stop it's rampage. This is what caught Bungo Baggins in it's clutches, towards the end of the terrible Winter. With each day the weather brought a bit more warmth, and Bungo's fever worsened as his body deteriorated. And just as Bungo's body was slipping away, so was Belladonna's mind.

The Fading was already beginning.

Once the family, forever changed, had buried Bungo under what would become a lovely patch of forget-me-nots, the twins' mother did not leave the house. She simply stayed by the window that overlooked the regrowing garden. When Bilbo and Prim attempted to get their mother to eat, she would smile blankly at them and tell them in a gentle, distant voice that she could not eat. Both the not-so-children buried Belladonna a month later, under the same patch of newly grown forget-me-nots, and neither were ever the same after.

 For a while, the twins continued clinging desperately to their tight bound, even as it unraveled before their eyes. Each had changed however. None would find Mister Baggins in the woods any longer. Instead, he seemed more at ease in his home, taking care of finances, taking impeccable care of the revived garden, and all other things utterly respectable. A true gentlehobbit, all would say.

Prim on the other hand, became more Tookish than any previous Took. Wearing trousers and loose tunics that did nothing for her shorter than usual and wonderfully curvy shape more and more often. She is rumored to be seen practicing with any Ranger willing to teach in the ways of the blade, on the outskirts of the Shire. Coming home late, trails of dirty leaves and mud in her wake, and a new skill always under her belt. A belt that, with each week was being tightened as her soft middle slowly abandoned her, leaving behind a toned but still delicate body. _Obviously, she had become completely unable to warrant respect, unlike Mister Baggins_ , hobbits would whisper to one another as she passes by them in the market. 

Such difference lead to arguments between the siblings. And distance grows along side every fight.

This is where we find our twin hobbits. After some few years a wizard decides that it is time to meddle. Because as all are privy to, a wizard meddles precisely when he means to.

 

 

Bilbo believed that this day would be absolutely normal, just as everyday before had been. He would wake up, find Prim just as she left the house. He would remind himself, as he always did, to get her to eat more as to thicken her belly and take away the unseemly tightened skin, which he never does. Then he will make himself first breakfast, then have a nice smoke and get on with his day.

The first part of the morning happened as usual. Prim left with a quick nod towards her older brother and sword at her hip. A dreadful thing in his opinion, but that was an argument never won.

Then, during his comfortable smoke in front of his prized tomatoes it all promptly went to hell.

One of the tall men, dressed in a grey, worn at the seams garb, with a floppy hat to boot walks by on the path right in front of his home. His face is marred by deep etches and lines from old age and stresses unknown to Bilbo, and his pace is assisted by a cain that he grips tightly in his hand. His long white beard ever looks mangled. Adventure leaks from the man in waves.

Bilbo instantly dislikes him, though he fashions his expression to say otherwise. He also thinks, rather dryly, how much Prim would love him, as bad taste in friends as she has.

Nonetheless, it would be rude to not greet the foreigner who of course must stop at  _his_ fence.

With a tilt of his pipe and a nod of his head, Bilbo says politely, "Good morning!" And it really was. The sky was blue and only white clouds were in sight. Winter was only just barely in the air, leaving behind a crispness that is quite pleasant.

The grey man raises an unimpressed eyebrow, and his response shows just as much. "What do you mean?" he said. "Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether i want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?" An infuriating old bat, Bilbo suspects to himself. 

Bilbo's voice is a tad hesitant while he thinks on how to reply, so as not to show his annoyance through his words. He admits, this sort of thing always came more naturally to Prim. "All at once, I suppose". Bilbo shakes his head a bit and changes the subject. "Is there something I can help you with?"

The white bearded man gives an almost grunt, then straightens his posture a bit. "That remains to be seen. You see, I am looking for someone to share an adventure with".

 _'Oh no,'_ Bilbo thinks to himself as he puts out his pipe and stands from his bench.  _'Not good. Not good at all. I best keep him far away from Prim's sights'._

Bilbo's voice is hurried as he climbs the steps towards his freshly painted door. "Good morning! We don't want any adventures here, thank you! You might try over The Hill or across The Water".

Before he can reach his door, the voice of the old man breaks his stride in an instant.

"To think that I have been good morninged by the son of Belladonna Took! Your sister, I expect that from, but certainly not you Bilbo Baggins".

Bilbo lengthens his pause, before taking a glance back at the man, taking him in with new eyes. "Do I know you?"

"Well, you know my name, though not that I'm connected to it. I am Gandalf, and Gandalf is...me."

The name sparks a rush of memories in Bilbo; ones of running around during Yule; Prim's tiny hand gripped tightly in his. Poor Prim, always a few inches small than most other fauntlings our age. Fireworks exploding and their parents' wonderful laughter in the background.

"Gandalf, the one who made such excellent fireworks?"

Gandalf seems to deflate a bit at this. "well, at least you remember me, if only for my fireworks". He nods seemingly to himself. "Yes, I do believe this will be good for you".

Bilbo doesn't bother waiting to hear more nonsense from an obviously crazed old man. Instead he hurries inside and closes the door behind him, leaning against it as if to assure himself that Gandalf is unable to come inside. He doesn't know that Gandalf put a mark on hid door; only that when he looks through his window, he is surprised by the sight of a wrinkled, large blue eye glancing back at him.

As he withdraws quickly, he gets a most dreadful emotion that he has not felt in quite a while; one that Prim has had far too often.

Curiosity is a _bitch_ , his mother used to say before his father reprimanded her for her language.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Company arrive, Bilbo is flustered, Gandalf is exasperated, and Prim is amused as can be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Really quick note: If any of you see any grammatical mishaps, please comment and tell me! I really hate editing and I sorta kinda suck at it, so I don't bother. That is all! Please commence your reading.

Bilbo was not happy.

Prim had been out all day, and had yet to come home even by this late hour. He is long past going out just to search for her, but he can't help but worry for his younger sibling at times like this. True, half of his anxiety comes from the weary thoughts of what trouble she is stirring up this late at night. And what neighbor he is going to have to apologize to in the morning. 

Nonetheless, he absolutely  _refuses_ to make himself sick with worry over that troublesome girl's  _safety._ She has been out far later than this before, and when he interrogated her on what she was doing, she simply stared at him as though he was crazy, then had the audacity to smile at him with so much cheek and proceeded to tell him that she was just taking a troll!

So no, he will just eat his lovely fish, with that nice dash of squeezed lemon on top of it. Then he shall clean the dishes and go straight to bed! And under no circumstances will he stay up late waiting for the door to open and to hear Prim's faint footsteps as she walks to the bathroom to bath, and then to her own room across the hall from his own. No, not happening this time.

Well, later on he will reflect quite sourly how he was finally right when thinking that nonsense. It truly would not be like every night before. Not in the least.

Bilbo just gets a forkful of his perfectly cooked fish up to his mouth, when the door was knocked-or more correctly  _banged_ \- upon. With a drop of his shoulders and a sigh, he stands to his feet. He shivers faintly as his thick soles press against the cold wood floor a bit unpleasantly. As he hurries to the door, he mentally prepares himself to whatever frazzled hobbit that was disturbing his dinner.

He did not find a hobbit; instead there was a gangly, bald, and utterly intimidating dwarf standing right at his doorstep. The thick muscled man was carrying two very sharp looking axes that Bilbo got only a glimpse at, and was glaring down at him with eyes that just might be sharper than his weapons. His bare head was not very bare, considering the tattoos covering it, just as they did his arms.

"Dwalin, at your service." His voice was rather unpleasant to Bilbo's ears; too guttural and on the edge of being scratchy. He gave a bow and watched Bilbo expectantly.

Bilbo gave a slight start, before tying his robe closed and replying, "Bilbo Baggins, at your's." Mister Dwalin seemed to take this as an invention to walk inside the house. "I'm sorry, do we know each other?"

Dwalin looked at Bilbo with scrunched up, goofy eyebrows. "No." As though he was the odd and obviously stupid one!

Dwaine quickly took off his cloak, and looked around as though in search of something. "Which way is it laddie? Is it down here?"

"I-is what down where?" The large dwarf looked back at Bilbo and tossed him the worn down, green cloak.

"Supper! He said there'd be food, and lots of it!" he said, before stalking towards the hobbit's kitchen and dining table. 

"H-he said?" Bilbo called after Mister Dwalin in confusion.

Blibo thought this very bad. Very, very bad indeed. He had a stranger, a  _dwarven stranger,_ in his house. One that was sitting at his table, in his chair, eating his bloody fish! And Prim would be home soon! It would not do, not do at all to have such a fierce character around his twin, annoying girl or not! Yet, Bilbo could not find it in himself to be impolite and ask the man to please leave his house  _this instant_. 

The door was knocked again, this time let brutally yet just as firmly noticeable.

Dwalin took another bite out of the coveted fish, and glowered at Bilbo with a growl. "That'll be the door."

The hobbit wastes not a second more in getting out of his chair, and to the door just to be rid of those glaring eyes.

With a whoosh, he opened his door to find another dwarf, though this one was quite different from the one currently in his dining room. This dwarf, was not covered in frightening tattoos, and was not bald and all together was in fact not intimidating. Instead he was actually quite friendly looking, with his whiter than white hair, both atop his chin and head, and round middle that any hobbit would envy. He smiled when he caught sight of Bilbo, and gave a deep bow as the one before his own arrival did.

"Balin, at your service." His voice was also kinder than Mister Dwalin's, and if the situation had been any different, he would have been happy to talk to this dwarf.

As such, Bilbo was more inclined to show his manners to Mister Balin, though he still was in a shock at the evening so far. "Good evening."

Balin looked around at the dark night sky. "Yes, yes it is." He steps inside, closer to Bilbo. "Though I think it might rain later. Now, am I late?"

"Late for what?" he replied, hoping to get answers.

However, luck did not seem to be on his side this night, as they were both alerted to a sound in the kitchen. With a glance there, they both find Dwalin sticking his hand in the cookie jar, trying to pull it and the cookie he was trying to nick out of it. Balin laughed and began walking over to the much larger dwarf.

"Oh! Evening brother!"

 _'Brother? How? The two seem nothing alike...perhaps that is how others feel_ _around Prim and me...'_  

Mister Dwalin chuckled at Balin while setting down the forgotten jar, slowly walking towards his brother. "By my beard. You're shorter and wider than last we met!"

"Wider, not shorter. And sharp enough for both of us." Mister Balin retorted with an easy wink.

The two laughed again, setting their hands on each other's shoulders. Then they preceded to bash their heads together, creating a loud  _thunk_ that made Bilbo's own head ache. Yet they seemed to think nothing over it, simply hugging each other and being merry in the other's presence.

Bilbo shut the door once again, still completely bewildered, and still without answers. He watched as the two siblings began to raid his pantry, and quite happily if he could say so.

Again, his blasted door was knocked upon. With a sigh, Bilbo opened it to find two younger dwarrows. One with blonde hair with some few braids, with a mustache and beard, again with some intericate looking braids. The other seemed just a tad younger, but had brown and unruly hair without the accompaniment of a beard. Both had mischief written into their face, as sure as the grin they gave Bilbo. 

"Fili-" the blonde one spoke strongly

"And Kili-" the brunette said with an even wider smirk and pride to boot.

Then the both of them took wide sweeping bows, and spoke again in unison "At your service."

The two, quite obviously siblings, straightened back up. Kili steps forward saying, "You must be Mister Boggins!"

Finally, Bilbo had simply had enough. "No, no you can't come in." And began to close the door on them.

Kili put his foot in the door's way however, and asked with a frown, "What? Has it been canceled?" Fili nods in agreement, a mirroring frown sported on his face. "No one told us."

"What? No, nothing's been canceled." Bilbo's bewildered expression was back as he replied.

"Oh, that's a relief!" Kili's grin had also returned, as he stepped inside with his counterpart behind him. Said counterpart turned back to Bilbo and handed him a pair of gleaming swords and a cloak. "Be careful with 'em. I just had them sharpened." This of course made Bilbo want to drop them instantly, not wanting to cut himself or even risk cutting himself. He resisted the urge though, remembering how Prim reacts when he does just that to her own little blade, and it is not at all a pretty sight. The little thing can be quite fierce and scary if she so wishes.

 Bilbo watched the two boys as they were embraced by their two elders. He noted how they always made sure to be close to one another though. Wherever one went, the other followed. If Kili moved a smidgen to the right, as would Fili. And if Fili stepped back, his brother would mirror. To be honest, watching this made the hobbit's heart ache a little. Because he knew what that was. He knew the feeling of such a strong sibling bond once; felt the invisible pull of that person wherever you were. Bilbo could remember how tightly Prim would grip his hand when he would drag her into one of his little adventures. How fond her voice used to be when she would berate him about doing something stupid, and how he was the only one she would let get her dress dirty with mud and instead laugh and shake her head at the end of it all. Those around them thought it so odd how they could communicate with barely said words and expressions. But they were twins, and hobbit twins were always a bit odd.

But Bilbo also remembered after their parents' death, and how they seemed to push each other away and together at the same time. Recalled how much they needed each other's comfort, but both not knowing how to give it. So they ended up dealing with their grieving in their own way, while trying to make the other stay the same. Because they had both dealt with well enough change, thank you very much. Yet, in the end that just caused them to be how they are now. Separate.

The two boys before him were like that. He could already tell. Though he was annoyed that so many people were in his house, uninvited, he was still pleased to see that such a connection between siblings was not only limited to himself and Prim.

These are his last calm thoughts, as more dwarrows quite literally  _toppled_ through his door, and he couldn't think of anything beyond,  _'My house will be ruined'_ and  _'I'm going to have to go to the market in the morning'_

He didn't even notice that Gandalf was standing next to him until he looked sideways as the dwarf, - Dori, if he recalled correctly- handed the wizard a small glass of red wine. Bilbo had a vicious satisfaction when the old bat looked so disappointed when it was all gone in one gulp. Like he was the one that was in need of alcohol in the first place.

By this point, all the dwarrows were seated in the larger dining room being absolutely merry and completely oblivious to their frustrated host. Kill was walking on top of the table as he handed people their tankers of  _his_ ale, and everyone else was throwing food at one another just as much as they were eating it! And the only one that seemed at all put out by this was Mister Balin, who Bilbo was quite sure young Kili was targeting.

If it had been a better evening, Bilbo would have felt sympathetic to the old dwarf.

Then, the group had to mock their gracious host, by giving him possibly the biggest heart attack of his life thus far by throwing his mother's fine china around to one another, and singing that damn song as they did so! Though, Bilbo could not deny being faintly impressed with how sparkling, clean, and  _not broken_ the dishes were by the the end of it. And as they were laughing, there was another infuriating knock. However, this one seemed...different. It held more weight, even though it was not as heavy as many previous bangs by far. All in the house went deathly quiet, which Bilbo was silently thankful for. And Gandalf said in an almost grim voice, "He's here."

Gandalf took the liberty to open Bilbo's door once more. The hobbit looked around the wizard in order to spot the new, and hopefully final edition. He must have been as tall as Mister Dwalin, though not as meaty looking. He was still muscular, as most of the other dwarrows were, but just a bit more so to the point where it was noticeable. His hair fell behind his back in dark tumbling waves, and his blue glaring eyes matched his cerulean cloak and tunic. A sword at the hip was his only weapon, but even then he must have been the most intimidating of all the dwarrows Bilbo had met this night, just in a different way.

Because it wasn't his appearance that made him take a step away. It was his presence. How he commanded everyone's attention, and how he was glaring down at Bilbo with such a critical eye that if Bilbo had been less of a hobbit, he would have grimaced. He had the air of importance, far more than Bilbo was used to.

His eyes turned back to Gandalf as he walked inside the home. "Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn't have found it at all if not for that mark on the door." The new dwarf took off his coat as he spoke; his voice rumbling and attention grabbing.

Finally Bilbo processed what was just said. The hobbit walked over to his door, searching and not finding any sort of mark. "Mark? There is no mark on that door; I just had it painted last week!"

Gandalf looked rather smug as he replied. "There is a mark, I put it there myself. Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of this Company; Thorin Oakenshield."

Bilbo walked closer to Mister Oakenshield as the dwarf looked down at him. "So, this is the hobbit." He walked past Bilbo as he continued to speak. "Tell me Mister Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

"Fighting?"

"Axe or sword?" the imposing person continued on, not answering Bilbo. "What is your weapon of choice?"

"Well I have some skill in-" Bilbo was about to reply when he heard a voice that caused his veins to run cold.

"His chosen weapon is me, sir dwarf." Prim, clad in gray trousers, a green tunic, and covered in dirt, walked through the door before all the eyes of their surprised guests. Her face had a cut or two that just begun scabbing over, which did not take away the beauty of her somehow eternally ivory skin tone. Nothing could take away her beauty in the eyes of all who meet her, not really. Her hair was surrounding said face in fiery locks of thick and utterly untamable curls. Her sword was at her hip, the handle palmed lazily in her grasp. "Now, may I ask who the hell you think you are, circling Bilbo as though he is your prey?" Prim smiled gently, as though she was comforting someone instead of interrogating them, and Bilbo wanted to just go to bed.

Thorin turned to her, not showing any of his surprise except for the lift of his eyebrows. He opened his mouth to retort, but Bilbo had beaten him to it, stepping towards her armed with a handkerchief. Prim grimaced just at the sight of it.

"Now now, hold still you little brat." Bilbo scowled at her as he wiped away the dirt from her cheeks as best he could. "And do not talk with such language!" Finally Prim shoved his hands away with a glare. "Where have you been? Do you know how late it is?"

Prim grinned at her brother in such a way that they both know irritated the daylights out of him. "I was just...walking around the neighborhood." Bilbo narrowed his eyes at her, and noticed suddenly that she was carrying a rather full bag. He sighed and stepped back.

"Empty it all on the table."

"Come now Bilbo, whatever do you think is in this-"

"Prim, I won't repeat myself! It has been a long enough evening without you causing trouble!" Bilbo didn't really mean to yell, nor do so as crisply as he did, but he was tired and he just wanted to avoid their normal fight. Prim gives him an icy look, then a glance to all the others in the room who are staring at the two siblings. They didn't expect their host to be so angry at such a small thing like her.

Prim shrugged and walked past everyone as she drew the satchel from her side. She gave Bilbo another look, before pouring out all the nicknacks that the bag was filled with. They were little things, ones that a person wouldn't miss for at least a few days. Necklaces, a piece of fruit or two, ribbons, art tools such as paper or drawing coals.

"Prim..." Bilbo sighed. "Why did you take these? We have all of that here, and its not as though if we don't have the money to  _get_ them."

Prim smiled and sat on the table next to her stolen goods. "You know I always return all the things I take."

Thorn stepped forward, his voice low and rumbling. "You're wife is a thief?"

Prim looks up at the tall dwarf. Bilbo was almost impressed when she didn't seem at all effected by his imposing presence. She just snorted and laughed, before looking back at Bilbo. "Look, its so cute how he thinks you could ever get a wife as grand as myself, Bilbo." She hopped off the table and stood before their audience, taking a grand bow. "Bilba-Prim Baggins, at your service. Just call me Prim though; most do." She stood back up straight with a lazy grin.

"And this uptight sod is my twin brother, Bilbo." This earned her a sharp hand to the head by said brother.

" _Older twin_ , and you would do well to remember that."

"Not old enough to be a mother hen, I'll tell you that."

Bilbo looked toward the heavens, praying for patience.

Thorn looked rather put out, much to Prim's amusement. "So, the  _sister_ is a thief?"

"Again, sir dwarf, you are wrong. You see, I'm a burglar, not a thief." Bilbo and herself don't notice how all the dwarves, including one wizard, perk up at her claim.

Bilbo glared at his twin. "Whatever could be the difference?"

Prim looked rather smug, in everyone's opinion, as she answered. "Well, a thief usually pickpockets-"

"Which you do also." Bilbo said rather dryly. And Prim promptly ignored his input.

"While a burglar goes into houses in the wee hours of the night, stays completely silent, and takes what she choose. However, you could say I'm neither of those things also."

Gandalf surprised her with asking a question, his eyes alight with amusement. "And why is that, my dear?"

If the dwarrows had thought her smile before was lovely, they were almost stunned by the brightening of her face and eyes as she looked upon the old wizard. 

"Gandalf! Its been so long since we've seen sight of you! What are you doing with this lot?"

Gandalf smiled just as smugly as Prim had moments before and replied, "We are looking for someone to join in an adventure."

Now Prim was the one that looked as though she was circling prey, though through her eyes only and not actually walking around the lot before her. The sight made Bilbo's breath stop in fright.

"An adventure, you say?"

"Yes my dear. Though, I thought your brother more inclined to the thought than yourself." said the wizard in a curious sort of stated question.

Prim's voice was nonchalant while her eyes were suddenly sharp when she spoke. "Yes well, it has been years since you have visited. A decade, if memory serves. Mother would have loved to see you one last time. A true pity, isn't it dear friend?"

Gandalf flinched from her unrelenting gaze and cleared his throat. "My deepest apologies, that I did not come in time, my dear."

Her smile was razor sharp and those around almost were sorry for the poor wizard under fire. Bilbo especially, since he had seen many a people breakdown from that stare. The wizard was doing quite well, all considering.

"Well, no time like the present, right? Before you leave, make sure to visit her, yes?"

Before Gandalf could readily agree, the leader of their current company said in clear annoyance. "We are not here for pleasantries. Gandalf, you truly think this....grocer would last during this quest?"

All eyes go to Bilbo, whose own eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. "He's quite right. I would not last a day."

Gandalf turned his glance once more to Prim. She caught his gaze and hesitated. "Before you say no completely brother, why don't we hear about this quest?"

Bilbo glared at his sister, but at her warning look conceded. Just this once.

So Gandalf moved them into the dining room and began to weave the story of their noble quest. And as he continued on about an adventure so seemingly enchantanting and important, Prim's eyes became fiercer and more certain by the moment. Dragons, elves, dwarrows; all she would encounter on such a quest. Maybe soome of these people knew her mother, or at least came across her through their own travels. The thought gave her such a dreadful ach in her bosom, that she just might be able to be a part of something that her dear mother could have been proud of. When the dwarrows became rowdy she smirked in amusement. She could feel the anger ratiating off of Bilbo; and when Thorin calmed them with but an utterance from some foreign tongue she did not understand, she looked upon him in the beginnings of respect. It said a lot about a man when he was able to command the silence of such rambunctious men like the ones surrounding her, and even more about one that had an air of humbleness when they did so. The dwarrows rallied a cry of excitement, and at this point Prim was quite tempted to join them. The lovely hobbit sympathized for these people. She believed that homes were important. She felt that it would be worth it, fighting a dragon if it meant maybe bringing a whole race back home. Might even be worth her life, should it turn out that way.

As Gandalf handed a great stone key that seemed so very heavy and cold to Thorin, Prim stood up. The dwarrows watched the small hobbit-whose height just barely came shy of Dwalin's chest, much to all of their amusement- in interest while Bilbo did so also, but instead with weariness. He already knew what she was going to say.

"You said that there's a contract I need to sign? Let's see it then."

Bilbo sighs in exasperation as the dwarrows stared for a moment, before going into an uproar.

"You're but a wee lass-!"

"You wouldn't make it a week-!"

"We wouldn't even allow a dwarrowdam to come, nonetheless-!"

"Do you even know how to use that little letter opener at yer hip-!"

Suddenly the room darkened and Gandalf stood up, banging his hands on the table. "Bilba seems quite capable of this quest, and it is her choice to do so or not!" The wizard was rather content with the idea of the young hobbit lass going along on their jounrey. There was something about her that gave him the feeling of importance. A gut feeling, as men would say.

This seemed to quiet all of them down, and then they simply stared at the girl. To their eyes, she was a liability. To them, she was simply a pretty sight, who thought too much of herself and her abitlities. To them, she was just a maiden who would get in the way.

However, after a look from Gandalf Thorin told Balin lowly, "Get her the contract." Balin nodded grimly as he took it, along with ink and a feather out of a bag. He felt very somber as he pictured the many ways that the little lass could and perhaps would die. Some were more merciful than others, and he prayed that the Valar would be kind to her.

Prim calmly looked over the details of the contract. Treasure, dragon, steal a pretty little jewel, and might be incinerated. The last one caught her eye. She signed the contract and then looked up at all the men around her and spoke dryly. "Incineration sure sounds fun."

And that was when Bilbo fainted.


	3. Chapter Three

The dwarrows were still chuckling when Bilbo had woken, and was sitting in his favorite chair with his favorite tea inside of his favorite cup beside his currently  _not_ favorite, but worried sister.

"I'm fine. I just need to sit for a moment and calm down." His voice was steady by now, and that was enough for Gandalf.

"There is no more time to sit down calmly!"

Prim shook her head and, "I haven't the faintest clue why you are pestering my brother, when I am the one that has agreed to do your burglarizing for you." she said.

"Prim, you shan't be going off with strange dwarrows and a troublesome wizard across Middle Earth, just to get killed by some dragon in an unknown mountain!" Bilbo's voice was shrill and panicked at even the thought of his sister doing anything so...adventurous!

Gloin's voice broke out above all others as he exclaimed angrily, "What makes you think we would even allow a wee lass such as her to even come along with us? The girl would be stepped on by accident within a day! It's in her best interest to stay home, safe." Prim was rather put off at the surety and finality in his tone, and unlike Bilbo, she was not at all hesitant to tell him and everyone else that agreed.

"Master Gloin, with all do respect, you-along with all of you- are utterly prejudice jackasses. And I thought that only Men kept their women boarded up in their homes!"

They went still for a moment, not expecting the small slight of a thing to say this to them. Sure, in dwarrowdames this would have been expected, but this was a hobbit they were talking about. One that even to the dwarrows found beautiful. They who find strong, bold, and broad features attractive saw this girl that was soft and delicate, without a hair on her chin while a whisp of red on her wide feet, to be so very lovely. And that lovely creature had the fire of any and every dwarrowdame.

The only one that recovered without prompting was Bofur, who spoke a tad slowly in surprise as he stepped towards the put off hobbit. "I'm sorry, lass. But you must understand; we did not even allow our women to come with us even though they are fully able to defend themselves. You just barely reach a foot shorter than us and do not look to have an ounce of muscle on you. We do not wish to have your death on our hands."

Prim looked at Bofur, most unimpressed. However, her eyes softened faintly as she did her best to understand the dwarrow's point of view. After all, she was still a Baggins, and even to her it would be unthinkable to say something without first considering how the other feels. And unlike most times when she does this and finds the other's reason wanting, she begrudgingly admitted that the dwarrows may have had a point. If she had been any other hobbit, she would have been exactly what they thought of her. Weak, squeamish, and quite plainly useless. But Prim was not most hobbit lasses. She pestered the rangers surrounding Hobbiton in order to teach her to use all sorts of weapons, along with how to hide smaller ones on her person. She knew how to make camp, and she knew how to track animals-and if need be-people while also having the knowledge of how to hide. 

So, after this moment of consideration, Prim sat across the dwarrows and wizard. Her eyes were hard in stubbornness, but she understood that she would not be able to make them allow her to go, even though she had signed a contract. They, being her contractors, may have been able to release her from her written oath should they wish. Prim would thus have to convince them that she would not be the hindrance that they thought, and she would not die as easily as they believed she would.

"Master dwarrows, for most hobbits, you would have valid concerns; and even now you do concerning me. I am not nearly as strong as even the weakest of you, and I have not been trained in weaponry my entire life as it is said that dwarrows are." As the hobbit lady speaks, the dwarrows nod and begin to listen to her more closely. They believed her personality to be that of a dwarrowdame, but Prim seemed to surprise them once again. Because a dwarrowdame would not be reasonable, instead they would beat all the men in the room until they had the sense to agree with her. This fierce hobbit was taking a much different way of convincing, one that not many were fimiliar with besides Balin and Dori, who were listening the closest to what the little lass had to say in her defence.

"I am, however, faster than even the swiftest of you, especially in the heat of battle. I have been learning as much as I can about swordplay and knife throwing. I hunt and am a tracker, and many times I have helped the rangers when they go farther into the forest to find a rabid wolf.-"

Bilbo broke into his sister's speech, his voice slightly higher in irritation as he gripped his cup tighter. "You told me you were visiting Bree!"

Prim ignored this bit of imput as she watched the dwarrows and wizard as their gazes turned more considerate. "I understand my faults and weak points, and I shan't allow them to make this quest faulter."

It was quiet a moment until Dori asked inquisitively, "Why do you wish to go with us so much? Do you dislike your wee simple town so much? You would throw away your home that easily?" The other dwarrows stiffened slightly at this thought. That someone would just push away that which they so wish to have again.

But Prim shook her head, and her lovely blue-greens softened at their reaction to the suggestion that she would do such a thing. "I love the Shire, though my brother and neighbors would not believe me when I say that. I love coming back here and feeling warm and safe. I treasure being able to know exactly where I am at all times because I grew up here. I love home. And you all...you do not have one, I suppose. Not the one that you miss so dearly. Is it so unthinkable that I would want to help you retrieve that stolen piece of yourselves?"

Bilbo had not seen his sister so gentle and seemingly manipulatively honest in so very long. If it was not for her sword clad hip and muddy clothes, he could almost pictured the nearly forgotten sister he once knew. It made him realize that perhaps Prim was serious about wanting this for the strangers. She always did have a big heart, she just guarded it fierecely now. Gandalf felt a pang in his chest as he looked upon young Bilba. Were her eyes simply green, and her hair black as night, she could have been the mirror image of her mother almost. Belladonna had the same stubborn streak, though she was much more impossing with it than the dear hobbit in front of him currently. And the dwarrows, the company, oh how amazed and utterly bewildered they were. They had not known the lass for more than a few hours, and already she had thrown them for a loop. After a silent few minutes, Thorin spoke in a low and rumbling voice that stuck with Prim, no matter how much she attempted to shake it off. She could not tell if that was a good of bad thing.

"We will allow you to come only if you are able to beat three people in my company. One person for each fighting style that you will pick. If you are unable to accomplish this, you shall remain here." Prim felt a rush of excitement as she nodded her head in understanding and agreement. She had fought the rangers around the Shire while they were teaching her, and she had helped them take care of some barely trained bandits in the area a few times. But she had never actually been against someone who was really trying to win. All the dwarrows seemed to find this agreeable, and Gandalf looked curious to see the out come. Bilbo, however, was not too keen on the idea.

"Bilba-Prim Baggins! You shan't be participating in any sort of competition that involves anything dangerous! And I believe that this counts as just that!" Bilbo wore an irritated frown as he jumped up, pointing very sternly at his barely younger sister. Said sister glared at him and only Kili and Fili understood what happen after.

"Now see here, you know that I-"

"Yes yes, I know very well that you can-"

"Apparently you do not 'know very well' if you think that I am too-"

"I do not think that you are too weak or anything of the sort, but Bagginess do no-"

"Bagginses do not go on adventures or-"

"Or go fighting in the middle-"

"Of the night but-"

"There are no buts about it Prim!" Bilbo yelled sharply, cutting off her reply and silencing even the breath of their confused audience. He shook his head in frustration and then spoke in a much quieter voice. "Do you not realize what everyone would think about you if you went with these people? What people shall say?"

Prim stood still for a moment, then walked over other brother and gently ruffled his hair. This caused Bilbo to become just slightly less high strung as he listened to his sister whisper something to him that no one else could hear. Whatever it was, it made him sigh but nod nonetheless. He stepped aside, allowing everyone to see the back door.

"Very well. The bout would be better in the backyard. Most of the Shire is asleep, but there are those who are nosey and enjoy stalking in the night to find worthy gossip."

Prim grinned and giggled. "Brother dear, how rude to talk about the Sackville-Bagginses in such a way." Bilbo just rolled his eyes and was rather tempted to give an impolite snort, but he withstood.

The still confused Dwarrows and highly amused wizard were escorted to the backyard. It was dark, only lit with but one lamp that Bilbo put a lazy flame into. Despite that, all could see the beauty in the fenced off yard. The flowers were high and strong, as was the entire garden. Especially Bilbo's prized tomatoes, and the too patches of forget-me-nots strangely apart from all else. It was an enchanting sight, to Dori and Balin and Ori.

Prim smiled at the crowd around them. "What sort of fighting would you like? Sword, hand, knife, or arrow?"

Thorn raised a rather unbelieving eyebrow and spoke dryly. "You know how to do all of that?"

Prim shrugged at this and said admittedly, "I have only recently  begun working with a bow, so I am not very good at it quite yet. But I am an excellent knife thrower, and I know my way around a sword."

"And hand to hand?" This was Dwalin who asked, his voice forceful and rough as though worn from yelling orders all his life. She wouldn't be surprised if that was exactly right, she mused before answering.

"I am fairly skilled in that area."

"Then ye wouldn't mind to fight me?" His critical eye glared down at the hobbit lass, already assessing what sort of tactics he might use to overpower her. Bilbo took a breath in to argue loudly about such a grizzly dwarrow laying a hand on his sister, troublesome as she is or not. But Prim beat him to it by smiling again and nodding. "Of course I wouldn't mind, mister...?"

The large dwarrow bowed in a begrudgingly polite way. "Dwalin, at your service."

Prim curtsied as well as she could without a skirt and a sword at her hip. "Bilba-Prim Baggins, at yours. Now, what shall we do first?"

Nori, who had hidden himself in the shadows, stepped into the light and lifted his head. "I shall challenge you to the knife throwing, if you are not opposed miss Baggins." Nori smirked faintly as he spoke. He had been curious about the hobbit lady the moment she had admitted to being a thief-oh, excuse him, a burglar. Though his fellows were unconvinced, he was not surprised at all. She had the air of the kind to her; shifty fingers that she hides, gauging eyes that took in a person to estimate how expensive of things they carry. No, Nori was not surprised to find a thief in this girl.

Prim saw the same things in him, of course, and was amused at him volunteering. "I would not be opposed, mister-"

"Nori, miss Prim." Nori winked at the lass, causing her to laugh and shake her her head.

"A pleasure, I'm sure." Her reply was as she grinned and Bilbo watched the red haired dwarrow with narrow eyes. "The knives first then, since its the quickest."

The noncompeting people stepped back, while Nori and Prim stepped side by side to mirror a tree a small distance away. "What are we aiming for, master Nori?"

"We each will attempt to cut off apples from their stems on our own side. We will both only use ten knives, and whoever has the most apples on their side of the ground wins." They both thought that it was very simple, and quite honestly a bit too easy. But the others wondered how the hell the pair even  _saw_ the damned apples in this bad lighting.

The two knife throwers took out their blades seemingly from thin air. None there understood how Prim could hide the knives what with her tight breeches and tunic without a cloak, and she did not feel privy to explain the  phenomenon to them any time soon.

Thorn called to them sharply. "On the count of three, you will begin! 1, 2, 3!"

And then knives were released in a flurry of motion. There would be a quick flash as a blade caught the light, and then a thud as another apple hit the ground again and again.  _Flash, thud. Flash, thud. Flash...._ and there was no thud. Once more, and then it was silent. Prim was finished just as Nori was. Everyone went to count Prim's side first, finding that she had ten apples cut cleanly off the stem. She grinned cheekily and collected her knives as the others moved on to Nori's side to find the exact same result; all ten apples on the ground without stems. It was ruled a very impressive tie, and as Prim rejoined them and Nori picked up his own knives, Dwalin stepped forward.

"Lass, are ye ready for our bout?"

Instead of answering him, Prim stuck her blades, knives and sword all, into the ground by the garden and then stepped into the center of the yard. "Whenever you are, Master Dwalin." Dwalin just gave her a withering look and unattached his axes from his shoulders, burying them into the ground by her own weapons. The pair faced each other and a change happened in them.

Sure, Dwalin always seems like a warrior in appearance and voice and all things, but now he was savage and his eyes spoke what all else couldn't, for there was no words to describe how it was for a dwarrow like him to become a calculated fighter. Prim looked much the same, except that she did not look at all scary. Where Dwalin tensed up, she became relaxed. As he cracked his knuckles in a way that caused Bilbo to consider how very well the ground would act as a bed in case he fainted again, Prim tapped her foot as she waited for something to happen. Few noticed how that was to almost taunt the burly warrior, her nonchalantness. He himself knew it too, so he obliged her.

A step forward was all it took and they were gone. In their own world of dodge and strike, Dwalin and Prim danced. It was interesting to the bystanders; the two learned quickly how the other fought. At first Prim used little tricks, acting like she was going to punch his ribs and then at the last second kicking him in his kidney and then flying back. So Dwalin would let her come close and then grab her abruptly and try to fling her to the ground. It worked once, causing Prim to hit her head on a rock, though she didn't feel it happen or afterward as the blood trickled down her cheek; the adrenaline was pumping through her veins too strongly. Dwalin had to change tactics though, when the second time he attempted this and instead of landing on the ground, Prim flipped and was on the dwarrow's shoulders for a moment before pushing off of him making both of them fall in opposite directions.

They stood once more, and Dwalin charged her with his fist ready to land a blow to her side, when Prim deflected his knuckles away and curled her fingers against her palm, pushing his chin up and away. This caused momentum to carry the large dwarrow right unto his ass before the small hobbit. He stayed there for a moment and everyone was frozen, waiting to see his reaction to being beat. Dwalin and Prim stayed, catching their breath, until the burly dwarrow stood, mumbling to himself but nodded to the surprising lass who had undeniably bested him.

Prim smiled and as he reattached one of his axes to his shoulder, she picked the other one up and handed it to him. Prim grunted and grimaced at the weight and muttered something that none but Dwalin could hear. Dwalin snorted and grinned roguishly as he took the heavy axe, twirling it in his hand once, before reattaching it also to wear it belonged.

As Dwalin stepped back into the crowd of his laughing and teasing fellows, Thorin came forward, sword in hand. Wordlessly he came into the middle of the yard where Prim stood also. He glared at her a moment, before grabbing the hilt of her sword, yanking it out of the ground before handing to Prim. There was not a sound besides the hobbit girl's slightly labored breathing from the fight before.

Prim tilted her head and her eyes became razor focused on Thorin. The dwarrow took a step back and circled Prim, just as he did to Bilbo earlier that night. Prim stayed still, watching the large dwarrow from the corner of her eye, so she was ready when he attacked from the side. Bilbo stiffened at the ferocity of the attack but was in wonder-just as everyone else was-at how gracefully Prim defected the sword lunging for her hip by throwing it in an arch with her own. Before Thorin could recover, she brought her blade to his throat, the dull side ghosting against the vulnerable skin. She called lightly, "Point."

Thorin quickly stepped back as she took her sword away from his skin, and this time used the hilt to jab Prim's shoulder, causing her to cry out and almost lose her grip on her own handle. Thorin pressed the dull end of his blade to Prim's waist, saying "Point." in what Prim would later claim, and he would deny, smugness.

Prim glared, and twirled out of the way to Thorin's other side. In a flash the two had their swords pressed against the other's throat, their stances identical. It would have been called a tie, if Thorin had not shoved her away and onto the ground. This made Prim lose her hold on her sword and as it clattered into the dirt, Thorin had the tip of his blade pointed straight at Prim's heart, and with that, winning. "Point."

Prim sighed and gently thudded her head against the soft grass, waiting for Thorin to take away his sword. When he did, she sat up, allowing Bilbo to fuss over her and thanking Fili with a nod when he handed back to her her weapons.

Truthfully, she had shocked all the dwarrows. It is rare that someone is able to get a hit on Dwalin, nonetheless beat him. And Thorin always wins, but he has never been that close to a draw. Though she might need more training to get the kinks that some of them noticed out, she would do well on a journey, many thought. Thorin, was one of them, though he didn't say so. Instead, all he said was "Balin, sign as the witness that her contract is valid."

Prim and Bilbo looked towards the exile king, and for a moment all could see how they were twins. Their eyes were both bright in the dim lighting of the lamp and wide; one in excited disbelief and the other in worried anxiety. The dwarrows all secretly smiled, content that they had a fairly capable burglar on their hands, which was more than what they expected when they laid sight on Bilbo.

While they all went back inside, Nori walked next to Prim and discretely handed her one of her knives that was on his side of the tree. He whispered faintly as they looked ahead of them. "You cut down one of my apples, you know."

Prim smirked slightly, and she was passing him up to go to the kitchen, she said "You  _missed_ one of your apples, master Nori."

Nori gave a bark of laughter, and before he lost sight of her he asked curiously. "What did you tell your brother to convince him to let you compete against us, miss Prim?"

Prim rested her hand against the doorway and looked back at him. She was quiet for a second before speaking. "I asked him if he realized what I would think of myself, if I did not do my best to help you. Respectability might be important here, but not enough that I would leave you without the burglar you need."

Said brother appeared, armed with a wet napkin to press against his sister's gently bleeding temple that she just started to feel the sting of. "Which is why I must have a contract made up also." Prim quickly looked up at her sibling.

"What? You can't go! There must always be a Baggins in Bag End!" She even quoted their father in order to make him see sense.

Bilbo shrugged, ignoring all the eyes set on them. "There shall be, after we come back. I will not let my sister go off with strange dwarrrows, a troublesome wizard, to an unknown mountain to steal from a dangerous dragon without me. Besides, it would not be proper for a lady of your stature to go with gentlemen alone. The talk you would cause would not stop for years!" Prim rolled her eyes at his drama, but smiled and shook her head in fondness. Bilbo felt a rush of happiness as he could picture Prim in a bright green dress that was newly dirtied on the hem with mud giving him the exact same expression. And as he signed his name on a quickly written contract, and everyone went to bed to wake in the early morn, he thought to himself that maybe this adventure would not be so very bad.


	4. Waz up?

This is just to show that I updated, because I finished and posted chapter 3 but since I was working on it since early August and finished a couple days ago it looks like, I believe, I only updated in August. So...yes,chapter 3 is indeed up, so please read! That tis all!!


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so our journey begins!

Thorin Oakenshield was awake before all others, he believed. It was not uncommon that this would happen, him waking in the early morning and unable to go back to sleep. Usually he would go around the house and clean-because Dis would not hear of doing such things, mainly because she was dreadful at anything involving the home except cooking-or even go to his forge to get a head start on the day's work. However, since he was not at the Blue Mountains, he could not do this. Instead, he looked around the strange home of the two odd hobbits.

It was warm and comfortable, even from his spot on the floor, the farthest from the fireplace and next to a window, looking out towards the white fence of the front yard that was intertwined with flowers of what he knew not even the names of. There were family portraits here and there, and small nick-nacks that he quite honestly thought idiotic and useless. But the hobbit hole-a smial, if he heard Master Baggins correctly-was definitely personal and homely. And how he envied that.

He found himself rather bitter at the fact that the tiny hobbit lass was so very excited to abandon this peaceful, faraway place. Even though she was doing it in order to help them regain their's, he did not understand the need to leave somewhere that held so many memories for her. He would think that all hobbits were this type of infuriating odd, if the girl's brother had not reacted the way he did. So he supposed that Prim was the only one this crazy to go off with but a night of warning.

Thorin took time to allow his mind to wander like this until Dwalin began to stir beside him, so he roughly elbowed his shield brother in the ribs in order to quicken his journey to alertness. Dwalin grunted, and only with a second elbow to his chest did he wake. The large dwarf then proceeded to do the same to whoever was the unlucky person that was sleeping beside him. This continued for a minute until all the company was awake.

Balin was the one to first notice how much damage they had done to the small smial. So with not a word of complaint and a quietness very rarely expressed in dwarves, the company fixed the plumbing, and tidied up the living room and larder and dinning room. After this, they headed outside to start packing and saddling their ponies as they allowed the two hobbits more time to sleep before the two were thrown into a world they knew not of.

At least, that was what they intended. As the large group, plus a sudden wizard that just happened to be away exactly long enough to avoid the cleanup work, heard a small hobbit lass clothed in a clean, large white tunic tucked inside brown riding breeches yell towards her annoyed brother who was not near as ready for a day of riding as his sibling.

"Come on Bilbo, finish up that sign! I've already gotten our pony saddled and ready to go!"

Bilbo grumbled and yelled back obtusely "That is because you woke me up but thirty minutes ago! I barely had time to throw together a pack before you insisted I finish painting this!" He did, however, finish said sign quickly and put it on the front door, grumpily ignoring the bewildered and amused dwarves that stood before him.

Ori gave a sharp laugh, causing his fellows to look at him. He continued to laugh as he pointed at the door to get the others to read the newly painted sign. Dwalin was the only one that did not look away from little Ori for a moment before doing so also.

_'All those who read this, please acknowledge that Bilbo and myself are going out of town for a short while. We do not know just how long we shall be away, but we would greatly appreciate it if our lovely and kind neighbors would make sure that what is requested is indeed followed:_

_1\. Please ask Mister Gamgee to take care of the garden. He, of course, may have whatever foods that are produced by his labor._

_2\. If Miss Primula Brandybuck would come whenever she could to clean the house, we would be in your debt!_

_3\. This is the most important: All in the Shire would keep Lobelia's grubby hands, along with that of her husband's, and all those associated with the two, away from our smial and especially our silvers!_

_If we both do not return in two year's time, please give the house to Drogo Baggins and whoever he decides to let live with him- as long as it does not include Lobelia and Otho Sackville-Baggins. I wish for them to stay at least twenty feet away from the fence's gate._

_Your's truly,_

_Prim-Bilba Baggins_

All the dwarves let out hollering laughs as they read Prim's sweeping handwriting, and then snorted as they went on to Bilbo's curly letters.

_'Please excuse my sister's unkind words, but also follow the directs if you would not mind. We shall miss you all greatly, and will be back soon._

_Bilbo Baggins_

The dwarves and wizard looked back at the halfling siblings to find Prim sighing in annoyance at her twin.

"Fine, I will. But you must fix our guests their breakfast and get together the food packs that we are bringing along."

Bilbo nodded in satisfaction. "Very well. So long as you get your hair up. It will get into much too difficult of tangles if you leave it as it is."

Prim rolled her eyes and motioned for him to go on about his business, then walked over to the garden. She picked small forget-me-nots and the biggest, immaculate camellias that she could find. The dwarves started to prepare their own ponies as Prim weaved her hair into a simple plait. She began at the top of her head and as she went down she added more locks of curls and with them flowers, forming a beautiful and colorful braid. The blues of the forget-me-nots brought out her eyes, and the pink of the few camellias made the red in her hair shine brightly in the sun as though it was fire. When she was done, she stood and checked her pony, making sure she had put all that she had intended to on the animal.

A few of the dwarves had watched in the corner of their eyes as she made the large plait in her hair, but Fili was the one that decided to abandon his own pony to help Prim tighten the saddle on her's.

Fili and Kili were different in many ways, mainly in appearance. But there was one thing that made them stand out in different ways with their personalities. Fill was rather inquisitive, while Kili was more action prone. While his brother went headfirst into things, Fili tended to think situations through first before going along side his brother. He liked asking questions and understanding the answers. So, it did not surprise many of the company when the dwarf lad asked Prim "What does your braid mean?"

Prim looked up at the dwarf before her in surprise. "Excuse me?"

Fill explained with a charming grin on his face, "Dwarves have meanings to our braids. Some mean family names, others show status. What does your's symbolize?"

Prim's confusion turned to understanding and she smiled gently at the young dwarf. "We don't hold meanings for braids, we simply find them lovely and fun to do. However, flowers do symbolize different things." At this point Ori was standing with the two, writing what Prim says in a large book in order to keep record. The hobbit brought the braid across her shoulder and pointed to a blue flower.

"This is a forget-me-not. In the language of flowers it means 'remember me forever'. they were my parents' favorite. Camellias," she gently ran her finger over a palm sized pink flower with layer upon layer of small petals. "symbolize good luck. A good start to our journey, I thought."

Fili and Ori smiled as they nodded in agreement. At this point Bilbo was back, bringing a plate of hot biscuits and a pack of food from their larder. Everyone got two biscuits, and then they headed off.

Prim and Bilbo were sharing a pony, since Bilbo had no idea how to ride one. Half way to Bree, where they decided that they would rest for the evening before they had to start camping at nights, Bilbo was sneezing and cursing his allergy to pony hair. He searched all of his pockets, and then exclaimed "Wait! Wait, we must go back!"

Thorin looked over at Bilbo in irritation, and snapped. "What is the matter, Mister Baggins?"

Bilbo continued looking through his pockets as he replied, "I left my handkerchiefs!"

The dwarfs and wizard looked at the gentlehobbit in half pity, thinking about how hard this journey shall be for him if he was so panicked about misplacing his handkerchiefs. Prim saved him from having to use a piece of kind Bofur's shirt though, by handing him what he was so desperate for.

"Leave it to you to be in such a tizzy about this." Prim shook her head and laughed fondly, as Bilbo glared at her while blowing his nose. The two bickered as only twins and Fili and Kili can do. It seemed that only four people knew what the hobbit pair were arguing about, as they only spoke incomplete sentences. At times, the dwarf brothers would snicker at something that makes one or the other twin glare and if it was Prim, her full lips would slip into a pout.

The company found this strangely amusing, even though they could not follow the conversation most of the time. They listened as Prim teased her brother about something and he would give a curt and clever retort all the way to Bree.

The company stopped at the Prancing Pony by nightfall. Everyone paid for their own room, pairing up so that it wouldn't cost so much. Kili, Fili, and Thorin were in one, while Balin and Dwalin claimed another. Then there was Bofur, Bifur, and Bombur together while Ori, Dori and Nori stayed in the room across from them. Oin and Gloin were in a room together and Bilbo and Prim shared the one across from Gandalf, who had his own room.

As the large group of dwarves sat in the tavern, eating and drinking and having a grand time, Prim listened and smiled at their antics. She thought that they were a curious people, who did not mind being who they were no matter how many people sneered at them. Bilbo had insisted on eating quickly and going on to bed, but she wished to stay and watch their new companions. At least until some characters came in.

Prim noticed them the moment they stepped through the door. The air changed, and the only ones that did not seem to notice were the dwarves. The four newcomers had their hunter green hoods over their heads, dripping from the rain that the group suffered through earlier. The tall people looked around for a second, before spotting the small hobbit lass. The human leading the small group stretched a barely seen smirk over his lips, and as one they walked over to Prim.

Prim raised an eyebrow at the four, turning her whole body towards them, causing the dwarves to notice the approaching new people. They went silent, slowly reaching for their weapons. The atmosphere became tense and when the four tall humans surrounded the young hobbit lass sitting at the bar on top of a stool, the company almost attacked them, before Prim grinned and gently nudged the person to her left. "Come on, you're making my new friends nervous!" She giggled and looked at the people fondly.

The humans let down their hoods, revealing three men and one woman, who was the one Prim nudged. They all smiled at the hobbit lass and looked at the dwarves who watched the interaction in suspicion, though their hands were drawing away from their knives.

The human who seemed to be the leader of the four had black cropped hair and brown eyes, and grinned as he spoke to Prim, still watching the dwarves in amusement. "Now, how will your poor brother react when we tell him what sort of people you've been associating with? He might have a stroke!"

Another man, sporting dirty blond locks and green eyes similar to those of the third man that seemed so very serious except for the light of happiness in his eyes, laughed loudly and ruffled Prim's still damp hair, messing up the braid and making some of the flowers fall out. Prim rolled her eyes as he spoke. "If Mister Baggins has not had a heart attack yet, I doubt he ever shall."

The serious man stepped between the leader and his brother towards Prim, gently brushing her now loose hair out of her face. "Don't say something like that, Anex. I'm sure Prim doesn't like hearing such ill words spoken of her brother." Prim smiled at the gentle man and softly squeezed his hand in thanks. The tender moment between the two made the dwarves feel rather awkward, wondering what the relationship between the two was.

The woman among the group flashed them a look with her almost black eyes and slapped the last man's hand away before undoing the plait in the hobbit girl's hair that was identical in color to her own auburn tresses. "Why don't you three idiots introduce us to Bilba's friends? They're still starring at us and Eru knows that she will forget about it if we don't go ahead." Prim smiled sheepishly and her cheeks blossomed into a sweet blush.

The leader of the group stepped forward, nodding to the dwarves in greeting. "I am Raison, this-" He pointed to the loud blond, "is Anex, and his brother Atix." The first blue eyed human grinned cheekily, as the second nodded faintly. "And that is Cerci, the woman. She is fierce, so I suggest you stay away if you value your lives." Cerci gave Raison a look before continuing running her fingers through Prim's loose and down hair.

Dwalin grunted out, "Are you the rangers that the lass has mentioned?"

The four humans grinned and nodded. "We are indeed." Anix stated, smiling at Prim. "It is nice to know you tell people about us."

Prim snorted. "Of course I do. How else would I explain how I obtain the bruises and cuts I get from you lot?"

Anex shrugged. "You're the one that wished to be taught how to fight."

Prim waved her hand nonchalantly. "Details, details."

Atix asked the hobbit quietly, "Has your rib recovered from the injury that the bandit gave you?"

Prim smiled fondly at him. "It is healed very well, as I told you before. There is no reason to feel bad on my behalf."

His pretty blue eyes showed how much he disagreed with the statement, however he thought well enough to keep that to himself as he gave Prim a nod.

Cerci ruffled the hobbit lass's locks to give the barely dry curls some volume before giving her friend a questioning look. "Now, mind telling us why you are with these dwarves, and  _how_ you got past your brother in doing so?"

Emerald grinned cheekily up at her. The company of dwarves was rather shocked, once again, by the tiny lass. So far she had been so happy around them. Sure, she had joked a few times and teased her brother many, but she never got the brunt of the attack during conversations. Around these humans, she acted very friendly and innocent. Perhaps she was, some of them thought to themselves.

"I've contracted myself to them and their cause. And Bilbo has also." She sounded a tad smug in everyone's opinion at the last part.

The humans' eyebrows went up, and Anex snorted. "Stuffy old Bilbo Baggins is going on a trip farther than the market? I will believe it when I see it." His twin and Cerci gave small frowns at him, as did Prim. Raison, however, merely smiled. "When is your party leaving?"

Prim looked over to the dwarves, eyes connecting briefly with Thorin's with a question inside them. Thorn replied slowly as he watched the humans with suspicion. "Tomorrow at dawn."

Raison nodded firmly before looking back down at Prim. "Then we shall ride with you, if it does not trouble you to do so. Then Anex may get his proof, yes?"

Bilba seemed to agree with this, judging by how she excitedly told the rangers that it had been so long since she had gone out on a long ride with them, and that it was going to be so much fun. She was a bit sad to hear that they would have to part ways at midday, but only a bit. She did not let that dampen her joy.

The dwarves went back to their own conversations, leaving the lass to her friends as she would most likely not see them for quite some time, if ever again. The company still wondered if she realized how much danger she was getting herself in. The rangers seemed to understand somewhat how fatal the journey might turn out to be, because they crowded her and kept Prim from all else's sight. It was obvious to even the less astute dwarves that the humans were loving towards the hobbit girl just as much as they were protective and jealous of her time. They, being possessive people, could connect with that, they supposed.

Finally, hours later, Prim seemed barely able to hold her eyes open because of how exhausted she was. Atix whispered something to her, which she nodded to. The somber man gently picked her up and asked the dwarves, "Which is her room?"

Balin answered with a, 'door at the end of the hall, to the right' and then the man walked carefully away, mindful of the small lass snuggled in his arms, completely dead to the world.

When they disappeared from sight, the other rangers sat down with the company of dwarves. Cerci stared at them with hardened eyes as the other two were not smiling for the first time since they lowered their hoods. The dwarves, of course, were not at all nervous. 

"I shan't go into details of how important Prim is to us, or tell you all to protect her. She knows how to do that herself, and I am sure you could tell how highly we value her. But, I do ask that you do not leave her alone. She..." The woman hesitated before Raison continued for her. "Bilba can be extremely oblivious in some things. And being as attractive she is, she might not notice a man trying things on her until she is forced to stab him in order to get away."

"Which has happened, once." Anex went on with a killer scowl. "She came to us in a panic and crying. The man did not live to the next hour."

Cerci took over then. "The point is, that situation has come close to happening again a few times. She simply does not see when a man is interested in her until its said plain for all to hear. I've even seen elves stare at her as she passed by, the few times that some have visited here." The dwarves growled at the mention of  _elves_.

Balin nodded to the rangers firmly. "We promise to protect the lass in that aspect. We have ver' strong opinions on courting and the such. None shall be allowed close to her."

The rangers smiled. "Then, I believe that we will get along just fine, in the small time that we will be around one another." Raison said as he clapped one of the stout, short men on the shoulder.


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prim rides with her friends for what might be the last time, and then enjoys the company of what could become her new friends.

The next morning Bilbo was woken much like he had been the day before; by his sister bustling around the room, packing up and yelling at him.  
“Bilbo! We are leaving in half an hour! You need to get out of bed and help me.” She flashed the slightly older hobbit a scowl as she said this.  
When her twin did not answer her, nor get out of bed like she told him to, she jumped on the bed and began to hit him repeatedly.  
With her pillow.  
Bilbo yelped and fell off the bed from the force of one of her blows. Prim snickered and leaned over to look at the male hobbit quite smugly.  
“I did tell you to get up, you know.”  
Bilbo gave his sibling a killer glare, but did get off the floor. After that, he was very much awake. So, he did as Prim said and helped her finish the packing of their bags. After changing- Bilbo into his loose green capris, yellow button down and red vest, and Prim into a new, sky blue tunic that did wonders for her eyes, and her sword attached to her dark brown riding breaches- the pair went down stairs to breakfast to find the rest of the dwarven company sitting at one pulled together table, with Prim’s ranger friends at a smaller one to the side.  
Bilbo paused after sighting the humans, then narrowed his eyes and looking at Bilba, who had the audacity to grin at him. “They are here? When did they arrive?”  
Prim shrugged and continued walking forward. “Last night, when you went up to bed.”  
“Are they why you were so late going to sleep?”  
She sighed and didn't bother answering, instead sitting beside Cerci and across from Atix with a bright smile. The rangers smiled back fondly, and then Cerci tutted at the hobbit lass’s hair.  
The red head fingered a curly auburn ringlet. “It is not fair; how do you go to bed with wet hair and wake up to it being perfect?”  
Prim giggled and slapped her friend’s hand away as Bilbo sat on her other side. “She needs to put it back up. We’ll be riding again, and if she doesn't her curls will become a bird’s nest.”  
Anex rolled his eyes and snorted. “Come on, stuffy. You'll be on the road; her hair will end up that way anyway. So will yours in case you didn't know.”  
Bilbo looked rather horrified, much to everyone’s amusement.  
“Come now mister Boggins, surly a few twigs and bits of mud wont bother you too much!” Kili snarked and then laughed as the gentlehobbit’s face twisted into disgust.  
After laughing also, Prim said quietly to her twin. “You could still go back home now you know. They really only need me as the burglar.”  
Bilbo glared at his sister sternly, making her shrink just barely noticeably. “You wont be allowed on a dangerous adventure on your own. You know how the Thane will be furious with us already. He would have my head if I left to alone with a group of men.”  
Anix, who was always so calm, gave Bilbo a scowl for making Prim cower even a little, like she were still a little fauntling. “Your Thane never cared about your mother going off on her own adventures, visiting elves and even learning how to speak their language. He also has never stopped his niece from her training with us, nor going with us on raids. I doubt he would really care about this, master hobbit.”  
Bilbo is about to retort, when Balin cut in, his voice tight and wrinkled, friendly eyes wide. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but did you say that Prim is the Thain’s niece?”  
Both Prim and Bilbo raised their eyebrows in confusion, and the lass answered. “Yes, just as Bilbo is his nephew.”  
Thorin looked at Balin in confusion, as did the rest of the dwarves. The rangers chuckled to themselves, already knowing what was about to be said.  
“Balin, what is a Thain?”  
Balin hesitated. “From my understanding, a Thane for hobbits is equal to a king.  
All the dwarves freeze, then go ballistic.  
“We contracted a princess! And a prince!”  
“We’ve been treating them as though they aren’t royalty!”  
Exclamations similar to those were shouted by all the dwarves, until the blue eyed leader broke through the voices. “Why would you not tell us you are both from royalty?”  
Prim scowled at everyone, particularly her friends who were howling with laughter.  
“It is quite simple; because we are not. A Thain is nothing like a king. If anything he is a mayor to we go to when we need guidance and who makes the final decisions for the whole community. The only similarity in a king and Thane is that the title is inherited. But it is incredibly unlikely that either Bilbo or myself shall come upon it, because our mother was the ninth child of Old Took.”  
The dwarves all blanched, looking incredibly shocked. Ori spoke, his voice shaking slightly. “Ninth? How many children did your grandfather have?” His fellows all nodded in agreement to his question.  
Bilbo broke apart a biscuit. “Twelve. A tad small for a hobbit family.”  
Thorin simply stared at them for a few moments, as did all of the others dwarves. “That is small?”  
Prim nodded. “Hobbits are known for producing many children. It is insanely unusual that Bilbo and I are the only children our parents had- and we were born at the same time as twins. However, mother did not want more children, though father built many rooms in our house in case she ever changed her mind, or if Bilbo or I decided to have a large family.”  
Anix lightly touched Prim’s hand, asking her quietly, “Do you wish to have a large family? We have never even thought to ask you that.”  
Prim opens her mouth to answer when Bilbo breaks in with irritation. “She should be courting some gentlehobbit by now. Years past the normal age for marriage.”  
Prim says dryly. “So are you, brother. And you are the one that shall be carrying on the family name.”  
“I am also not the one making it impossible for hobbits to even consider me.”  
Prim sighs. “This is not a conversation I wish to have at the moment. Besides, we should get going, don't you all suppose? The sun is rising and from what I’ve heard, we are on a time schedule.”  
Everyone eagerly agrees with her. except Bilbo of course.  
Once outside, Prim leaves Bilbo to ride on his own, switching to ride Anix’s pony in front of the serious human. The two had quiet conversations and small laughs with each other, and frequently they added the three other rangers into their little world. The dwarves began to truly wonder if their little hobbit lass had the beginnings of a serious relationship with Anix, as they watched the man play with the small hobbit’s hair and smile faintly at her amusing antics.  
When midday came, Raison nudged his horse up to Prim’s and Anix’s side, whispering something to their tiny friend. Prim’s grin slid off of her face and with a sigh, she called up the line towards Thorin.  
“Master Thorin, may we stop for a moment?”  
The leader of the dwarven group turned to the hobbit with a scowl on his face, though he did command his pony to halt with the pressure of his knees. “And why, pray tell, must we stop?”  
Raison answered in place of Prim. “I am afraid that this is where we must part from you, sir. We merely wish to give miss Prim a proper goodbye.” As the man spoke, he hopped off of his horse, flanked quickly by Cerci and Anex as the two slid from their own steads.  
The blue eyed dwarf gave a nod after a moment of thought. “Very well. We have made good time. We can spare a moment to rest.”  
Bilba gave Thorin a faint smile in gratitude. The young hobbit lass waited for Anix to get off of their shared horse, before allowing him to help her down also. In a second Cerci had the lass in her arms, hugging her tightly.  
The dwarves snorted and shook their heads as they listened to the red haired woman tell Prim what to expect here and there, and to make sure she acquires warmer clothes once they get the chance in a town, since in the Misty Mountains, it will be much colder than what she is used to in the Shire. Dori was much reminded of himself, watching Cerci fuss over Bilba just as he does over Ori, while the company began to eat dried meats and small chunks of bread for lunch. He saw the small lass sigh fondly and allow her friend to do as she wished, just like Ori did with himself. After Cerci letter go, he turned back to his food, only to find that Bombur had nicked it while he wasn't looking.  
Prim didn’t even notice the two dwarves as they began arguing. She was so very focused on her friends as they hugged her tightly, making her promise to write if and when she was able, along with swear that as soon as she arrived back in the Shire, to alert them that she was home safe. She was really quite sad that she would be away from her friends for at least a year-most likely more than that, considering the trek back would be just as long as the one to the dragon. However, the lass was excited to go such an important journey, and so that nearly made up for her heart ache.  
Nearly.  
Raison ruffled Prim’s hair and grinned down at her. “Now, always remember our first lesson: stick em’ with the pointy end.” He gave a wink as his little friend snorted before replying dryly.  
“I’ll do my best to keep that in mind.”  
Anex stepped up with a smirk. “And don’t go falling in love with some foreigner in a far away village. No matter how much your stick in the mud brother wishes for you to begin courting.” He caused Prim to give him a good natured glare for bringing up the earlier conversation. After sticking out her tongue at him, Bilba hugged the man tightly.  
“I’ll miss your damned terrible humor.”  
He sighed and hugged her back. “And I’ll miss your stupid reactions.” She gave him a weak punch in the shoulder for that, before looking at the man’s twin. At the sight of her soft smile, he stepped forward. The dwarves, along with a curiously amused wizard and a nosey male hobbit, all strained to listen to Prim’s conversation with Anix.  
“Keep these idiots in line, yeah?”  
The man rolled his eyes and said gently. “You know, I actually did that before we met you.”  
Prim grinned up at him. “And a terrible job you did at that.”  
He just shook his head and stroked back a ringlet of uncontrollable hair, behind her ear. “Be careful. Maybe, if we find ourselves unneeded around here, we can ride to hopefully meet you before you go in to steal from the dragon. We could help.”  
“So what, you don’t believe in my ability to burglarize a dragon? I’m hurt!” Bilba told the man with a cheeky smile.  
He didn’t reply, just shook his head and kissed her forehead. “Go on to your new companions. I’m sure mister Thorin wishes to leave quickly.”  
The blue-green eyes that gazed at the rangers became sad as she waved goodbye to them. The four lept onto their horses, bid the large company goodbye, and departed. Prim watched their retreating backs for a time before sighing and sitting between Bilbo and Bofur.  
Bofur nudged her gently and grinned down at her. “Just wait until tonight. It’ll make you feel better.”  
“And what shall we be doing tonight, mister Bofur?”  
“Just Bofur will do just fine! And we enjoy music, miss Baggins! Kili and Fili are quite talented with the fiddle, and I know my way around the clarinet. Others play some more instruments, while others sing.”  
Prim smiled, even as Bilbo shoved some bread and cheese into her hands. “That does sound rather fun. And if I shall call you Bofur, please do me the honor of addressing me as Prim. Bilbo might enjoy going strictly by ‘mister Baggins’ but I am not one for formalities.”  
Bilbo sputtered indignantly as Bofur grinned and nodded.  
Soon after this, Thorin called for everyone to pack up and get onto their ponies once again. Within minutes the company was riding again.  
And then, the weather was kind enough to start a light drizzle.  
Which turned into a near storm soon after.  
Prim rubbed her hands roughly against her arms at the cold seeping into her bones. Bilbo complained enough that everyone was quite tired of hearing his voice.  
Dori grumbled to Gandalf, asking the wizard why he could not simply stop the rain.  
“Because, master dwarf. It is raining, and will continue to do so until it is done.” Even the grey dressed wizard seemed irritated as he replied rather sharply.  
“Gandalf, are there other wizards beside you?”  
Prim looked over her shoulder to her twin in surprise as he asked the question. To be honest, she didn't think that he would stop complaining enough to think to ask the question.  
When the twins were young and the Fell Winter had yet to happen, they always wanted to ask the wizard if there were more like him, but at the time they were always too distracted and were really a tad intimidated by the incredibly tall man. Prim actually wished to know the answer, now that she thought about it after all of these years.  
“There are five of us. One is Saruman the White, who is the leader of our order. Then there are the two Blue wizards, who I have quite forgotten their names. Then me, and Radagast the Brown.”  
Prim saw a long forgotten smirk grace Bilbo’s face. “And is he a great wizard, or more like you?”  
Bilbo’s twin gave a bark of laughter and grinned at Gandalf’s perturbed retort. “I think that he is a very good wizard…in his own way.”  
They continued on in their trek, until the sky grew dark enough that the company could not see properly. Then, they set up camp. By this time, the rain had dissipated, leaving them time to dry off before going to sleep.  
Bofur was not lying, when he told Prim that the company of dwarves enjoyed making music to pass the time. Gloin and Oin built the fire as Fili and Kili grabbed their fiddles while others grabbed their own instruments. Prim and Bilbo watched in interest as they gathered around the now roaring flames, wondering how different hobbit music is to dwarven. In the Shire, they danced with everyone, even with the band as they continue to play, twirling together with hands intertwined.  
Sometimes, Prim missed that; being able to dance with everyone without others whispering behind her back, acting like she can’t hear them.  
Prim’s eyes somewhat glaze over as Bilbo and she stay in the background, the company before them laughing and dancing while Bombur cooks and chuckles at his fellow’s antics. The only one not laughing was the leader of their party. Thorin leaned his elbows onto his knees, keeping his eyes on everything and everyone, always protecting, even when all is merry and exciting.  
Prim was worlds away- or rather, years away. In a time where she was loved by all, and where all respected her. And in the Shire, that was nearly the most important thing in their lives.  
It was also a time where the hobbit lass was blind to the dangers of Middle Earth. She was so blissfully ignorant as she had luncheons with people she did not even like. As she brushed the hair on her feet into perfection, and made special care to be in the highest of fashion.  
Looking back now, Prim was disgusted with herself. How could she not ever think about life outside of her safe haven? Why couldn’t she have been like Bilbo, always trying to get out; to learn about the world around them?  
After that terrible winter, Bilba knew exactly what she would do. She would survive. Prim would protect her brother, even if he had receded into a shadow of himself. A Baggins that their ancestors would be proud of. But the lass didn’t care if others sneered at, mocked, or hated her. She would survive. And she would be damned if those idiots-the ones that cowered behind her’s and Bilbo’s backs as they slew wolf after wolf to protect them. The Shirelings that afterwards, berated the two for being so uncouth during the short dark moment. The people that retreated into their familiar world so that they wouldn’t have to face the one that scared them oh so much.  
She, Bilba-Prim Baggins, was the only smart one. The only survivor.  
Said survivor was startled out of her revere when a hand was thrust into her line of sight, causing her to look up quickly at a grey bearded face.  
Gandalf looked down at the young hobbit with softness in his smile. He watched her sit there on a log, her brother and others so close, yet so far way from her. Gandalf saw in her eyes the weariness that usually only age could bring. This was the real Bilba-Prim Baggins. Not the perfect lady turned rebel in the minds of her fellow hobbits, nor the uncontrollable sister in her own twin’s. Prim was not even the fiery dwarrowdame seeming hobbit as the company saw her. The lass was a little girl, so frightened by loss and emotional pain, that she has done all she can to prevent it. In her eyes, he saw a survivor not only of troubled times, but also of the broken pieces from an age of utter ignorance. And to be honest, Gandalf couldn’t bring himself to be glad at being rid of the latter.  
“Come now, dear Prim. The rest of the company is in quite a jolly mood. Would you not like the join in also? Perhaps give an old wizard the honor of dancing with you?”  
Prim hesitated, before smiling and shaking her head at the old man before her. The tenderness he showed her was one she had missed so very much. Not even her own brother looked at her in such a way-not anymore at least. This was the only reason Prim took his hand with only that moment of hesitation.  
The dwarves watched in curiosity at how very different hobbits seemed to dance compared to themselves. Where they clapped and stomped, bumped one another on the forehead in such friendly ways, and laughed, Prim pressed her hands against the tall wizard before twirling around him. Instead of their bellowing barks of laughter, she giggled and squealed in delight as Gandalf picked her up to spin her once in the air, before once again setting her down.  
There was skipping and more twirls that, had Prim been wearing a dress, would have had the skirt billowing around her in the most graceful of ways. Hobbit dances were graceful, perhaps rivaling even the elves’ own style in the art.  
After the song with Gandalf, Nori stepped towards his fellow in thievery. Armed with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, he offered Prim a hand in order to be her next partner. Together, the two pick pockets created an interesting mixture of dwarves and hobbitish dancing style. There were still twirls, but instead of the pressing of hands, there were gentle taps to the forehead, so as not to harm the more delicate skull of the young lass. Replacing stomps and claps, the two dancers clicked their heels together. All in all, once the song was over, they were laughing and everyone else had a chance to dance with the young lass. Kill and Fili took it upon themselves to dance with the pretty hobbit lass together for two songs, at least. Even Bilbo joined in at one point, proving that he too had talent in the enjoyable art.  
All danced and laughed. All but the leader of the group, who sat on his lone log at the outskirts of their camp, smoking his pipe and watching his charges enjoy the beginning of what he knew would be a trying journey for all involved.


End file.
